Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more […]

Startup to Watch: MySense

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more about their goals and ambitions, what the future holds and (for all you startup jobseekers out there looking for the inside scoop) what they look for in a prospective employee.

This week, we’re interviewing Lucie Glenday, Founder and CEO of MySense.ai, a wellbeing analytics platform that helps users achieve an awareness of how subtle changes in their health can manifest as changes in wellbeing and their ability to cope in their day to day lives. MySense is growing rapidly thanks to a number of global partnerships and a strong, capable team. They are on track to have their wellbeing platform in over 100,000 homes around the world. We look forward to seeing what they achieve (and they’re hiring for a Frontend Lead, a Senior Severless AWS/NodeJS Engineer, a Business Analyst and a Java/IoT/Linux Engineer on Work in Startups!)

What would you say MySense’s mission is?

To help people with vulnerabilities live as independently as possible for as long as possible with dignity. Whether you are 80 or 25, have complex physical or mental health concerns, we want to give you the tools and information necessary to be as independent as possible. We also want to give these tools and information to your support network.

What are your values as a startup employer?

Being positively brilliant! We see ourselves as a family that doesn’t follow the crowd. We aren’t afraid to ask difficult questions and be wrong – this is important for growth and development.

As for the people that we recruit, we put people’s personability before skills and experience. We firmly believe that you can teach skills and experience, but it’s harder (if not impossible) to change someone’s personality and attitude. In conjunction with this, we really value compulsive learners – so people that are always hungry to learn more and grow. Lastly, we look for people that are respectful and actively listen. There are people that listen but you know they’re not really taking it in. We want people that absorb and digest what others are saying before showcasing their own views and opinions.

We have a 5/5 rating on Glassdoor, which I believe is reflective of the time and effort we put into ensuring we get the right people through the door. We ask a lot of tough questions in the interview process and it’s definitely quite intense, but it’s a key reason we have such an incredible work force. It’s also partly why we have such a low churn rate – until a month ago we didn’t lose anyone we didn’t want to lose! This is also reflective of the fact that staff love working here and we invest in our employees.

We are also a globally focused work force and continually challenge each other in terms of our cultural biases, which is another great thing about MySense. For example, we don’t want to just focus on white, western assumptions of wellbeing – we want to challenge these from an Asian and African perspective to develop a more holistic understanding of the term.

Separately, we want to make sure that MySense is a safe place to work, whilst also being inspiring and challenging. This is especially important given that no startup is ever fully liquid and there can be lots of stresses. I think we’ve managed to find the right balance and developed a great, supportive culture where we all respect one another and are motivated by the same mission.

What has your growth been like?

I founded MySense in 2016, so it’s three and a half years old now! In the first year it was just me, but we’ve since grown to 42 people and growth projections are huge for the upcoming financial year. We’ve partnered with a number of care organisations in the UK and we’re rapidly expanding our global partnerships – it’s an exciting time.

We recruit a real mixed bag of people because we’re after a load of different skills. We have deep technical engineers, ops and finance managers, supply chain type people, a commercial team and clinicians! We’re looking to expand on all fronts over the next few years.

What does 2020 hold in store for MySense?

As I’ve mentioned above, we’re growing! We’re also extremely fortunate with our partners in the market. We have some large partners in the network and large contracts, but we’re also looking to expand in the marketplace and become a lot more visible.

We want to spend a lot more time on the brand elements, for example on product placement and we’re looking forward to working with large companies like McCarthy & Stone. Expect to see roll out across those companies in 2020!

We’re also expanding into two new territories. MySense was incorporated in Canada last year and we’re launching in the Canadian market later in the year! Plans to launch in a European territory are also in the works.

Do you have any advice for people thinking about founding their own startup but currently unsure?

There’s a huge element of luck, which can’t be underplayed. Often, it’s about being at the right place at the right time. What works for one person, in virtue of the people they have spoken to and know etc., won’t work for another.

If it doesn’t work, just keep going! Tenacity is key – you’ve got to be a bulldozer and believe in yourself. There will be people along the way that won’t believe in your vision and won’t think it’s going to work. If you can keep going despite this and tune out the white noise – this is a great step!

Also, don’t underestimate the power of a great team. If you have a core team of brilliant people around you that share your vision, this counts for a huge amount. They challenge you on a daily basis, and you’ve got to make sure you are believing in them and their ability as much as you believe in yourself!

And lastly, founding a startup is very hard work. I have three kids and I’m always busy. I take the kids to school first thing in the morning, I then go to work and do a full day at the office before coming home in the evenings and putting food on the table. After I’ve put the kids to bed, I then keep working! If I decided to work a 9-5, MySense wouldn’t have happened – you’ve got to work really, really hard to make your dream a reality. It’s tough building something from the ground up!

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more […]

Startup to Watch: LoyaltyLion

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more about their goals and ambitions, what the future holds and (for all you startup jobseekers out there looking for the inside scoop) what they look for in a prospective employee.

This week, we’re interviewing Shane Mayes, Talent Acquisition Manager at LoyaltyLion – a data-driven e-commerce loyalty and engagement platform which provides loyalty programs that increase customer retention for merchants worldwide. LoyaltyLion is another cool startup on our platform that’s growing like crazy, looking to double its workforce and shake up the way that ecommerce retailers do business.

What is LoyaltyLion’s mission?

Our mission is to help retailers succeed in the age of Amazon. Ecommerce today is like the high street before it became dominated by a handful of generic, impersonal businesses. By helping entrepreneurs succeed, we hope to stop ecommerce going the way of the brick and mortar store. This is why LoyaltyLion exists.

What are your values as an employer?

We give people a setting to grow and produce their best work and be recognised for it. The attitude and mindset of your team will have a profound impact on your product and customers – we are very people focussed because of this.

Ownership and trust are at the core of our working philosophy. Everyone here has a tangible impact on our product and more broadly, the way that we work.

We act with urgency and focus but we give people the flexibility to be innovative and try new things. We’re award winning because we innovate and differentiate.

If we say it then we will do it. We make good on our promises. We can’t say much about Loyalty if we don’t make good on our own words.

You guys have grown a lot over the last year. What’s next?

Rewind to January 2019 and we were working out of a one bedroom apartment. We’ve grown to nearly 40 people since then.

We’ve added some incredibly talented and smart people to our team, and we’re building something together. What’s next? Mistakes a plenty, I’m sure! Then success, then more growth…

All of the great people that joined LoyaltyLion have done so because they believe in our platform, and our vision. More importantly they believe that we are the best place to be to achieve their own professional goals – and that’s a big responsibility for us. This year we want to continue to make good on that and invest in our people, and give them opportunities and experiences that they value.

Great culture aside, are there any company perks?

Let’s start with the things that I think our people value the most.

Flexible working, remote working and a work from home policy mean that I can stay home and work knowing that my sofa delivery won’t be missed. It means that Magda can work from Paris for part of her trip to save her using all of her holiday. It’s a great way to work and we trust our people.

Free breakfast and lunch on a Monday are really popular. We’re dog friendly and have a couple of regular four legged visitors. We have a heap of refreshments on tap and a bunch of games and entertainment and more importantly a bunch of people that you will want to play with.

We tend to wind down at 4:30 on a Friday and play some games and we have a fantastic Office Manager who looks after our social calendar – more recently we went on a scavenger hunt around London and did the crystal maze!

There’s so much more and we’re always looking for ways to enhance our offering…

What do you look for in an employee?

We like people who are self reflective and who can look inward. A lot of what we’re doing is a first experience for us, which means that things don’t always go to plan. To deal with that you need to have a growth mindset.

People who are naturally curious and value every new learning opportunity that comes their way. No one joins LoyaltyLion a loyalty expert – some of us were completely new to ecommerce. Embracing those opportunities to learn is important. Identifying valuable learning opportunities and seeking them out is what will set you apart.

Finally, we look for employees who are themselves. We have a broad range of backgrounds, experience, interests, values, goals and I’d say we’re an even split across the Hogwarts Houses (if you join us, you will definitely be sorted into a house). Come as you are, make an impact, and grow with us.

Here at Work in Startups, we’re on a mission to help talented jobseekers find the startup job of their dreams. To support this, we’re running a blog series shining a light on people’s early startup careers, in the hope that it will inspire jobseekers (like you!) and help talent make more informed decisions about their […]

Early Career Spotlight: Luke Kock at CleanCloud

Here at Work in Startups, we’re on a mission to help talented jobseekers find the startup job of their dreams. To support this, we’re running a blog series shining a light on people’s early startup careers, in the hope that it will inspire jobseekers (like you!) and help talent make more informed decisions about their future. Follow us as we interview startup employees across the country and find out more about their backgrounds, motivations, current roles and future aspirations!

This week we’re interviewing Luke Kock, Business Development Manager at CleanCloud, the leading Point of Sales software, apps and online ordering service used by dry cleaners and laundry services worldwide. As one of the fastest growing SaaS companies in the world, they were named 2019 SaaS Awards winner and look set for big things! We can’t wait to see what 2020 has in store for this exciting startup!

Hi Luke! Can you tell me a bit about your background?

I was born and raised in London and went to Warwick University to read PPE in 2015. When I graduated, I was definitely the odd one out from my cohort in the sense that I didn’t know what I wanted to do. Most people had a graduate job lined up, but I didn’t as I wanted to try a few different things. Post-graduation I took an intensive coding course and tutored to earn money. Learning to code was my first segway into the techy, startup world and really got me thinking. I then went travelling for a few months and did a remote internship for a Dutch startup in Bali. This exposed me to the whole world of startup jobs and I could really see the value of my work. I was making a difference even though I was an intern and only just beginning my tech career. After that, I knew I wanted to work in a startup – just not remotely, so I applied for jobs via startup job boards (including on Work In Startups of course!) and CleanCloud approached me for a Business Development role! The rest is history!

Wow, thank you for sharing! What led you to join a startup in the first instance?

Definitely seeing the value of my work. Because CleanCloud is still pretty small, everything I do has a direct impact on how well we do, which is exciting! The second reason I joined a startup is that I wanted to learn how to run a business. I want to found my own company in the future, so where better to learn than at a startup? I’m seeing how a new business works: the ups and downs and the struggles, and this is invaluable experience. At a big company, it’s difficult to know what’s actually going on and have a holistic overview of how the company is doing. You don’t have this problem at a startup!

What led you to join CleanCloud in particular?

I wanted to work in something in technology, and CleanCloud seemed like the perfect fit. I’m enthusiastic about tech making people’s lives easier and CleanCloud does just that. Dry cleaning is an industry that hasn’t been disrupted by technology yet, so that’s what we’re on a mission to do and we’re making dry cleaners’ lives easier in the process. Not all startups have super-cool, crazy ideas, but the ones that are successful are the ones that identify a clear pain-point in an industry and provide a solution for it.

And there are a lot of signs that we’re going to be successful! Firstly, we are funded by Angel investors, seed funding and earlier this year a large US payment processing company acquired a minority stake in the business. Secondly, we’re a hard-working, dedicated bunch! We’re committed to our mission and want CleanCloud to succeed.

I also joined CleanCloud because I was really impressed by one of the Co-Founders and CEO, John Buni. CleanCloud is his second business! Before this, he founded a company called Tailor Made London that was the first tailoring business to implement body-scan technology. He has a knack for seeing how traditional industries can be disrupted with technology and I was inspired by his entrepreneurialism.

Do you think you’ll always work in startups?

Hmmm, difficult to say. I definitely think I’ll end up in a startup in the long run, and I’ll spend most of my career working in startups. However, I could potentially see myself working at a bigger company at some point. Big companies provide a lot of technical training, which could prove super useful – especially given that I want to found my own company one day. However, they don’t necessarily win on pay (unless in law or finance, of course) or experience. I think my heart will always be in startups at the end of the day.

My end goal is definitely to found my own startup, and I know that the senior people here would mentor me and help me out – that’s what’s so great about CleanCloud. They have invested in me so far and I truly feel supported.

What makes the CleanCloud a great place to work?

Two things. Firstly, the atmosphere is just so great! We have a lovely, lovely office and a collegial working environment. We all get on really well, which makes CleanCloud a fun, lively place to work. Secondly, you really see the value of your work and CleanCloud operates on a flat hierarchy. You can have a direct relationship with everyone in the office and be open about your concerns and successes. Additionally, if you have a cool idea there’s not a lot of bureaucracy. You’re encouraged to be entrepreneurial and push boundaries.

Do you have any advice for young, startup obsessed jobseekers when they’re just leaving school? What about people leaving University?

I would say don’t stress about it and feel pressured into going into something that you’re not interested in. Think about what you want to be and where you want to get to and find a startup that will take you to that point! If you decide to join a big, established company – pick one that will invest in you and take the time to teach you everything you need to know. I would say prioritise that above all else. I would also say prioritise a company where you feel valued.

And it’s ok not to know what you want to do! Try things out and see what interests you and what doesn’t. It was only after working for a startup that I realised I wanted to work at one and found my own one day. The startup road isn’t easy… but it’s incredibly rewarding.

Inspired by Luke and/or want to share your story? Email us at contact@workinstartups.com or reach out via Twitter – we’d love to hear from you!

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more […]

Startup To Watch: Pasta Evangelists

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders and employees across the country and find out more about their goals and ambitions, what the future holds and (for all you startup jobseekers out there looking for the inside scoop) what they look for in a prospective employee.

This week, we’re interviewing Alessandro Savelli, MD and Founder of Pasta Evangelists: a company on a mission to become the authority in fresh pasta in the UK. Pasta Evangelists is growing quickly, hiring just as fast and radically disrupting the way we think about and consume pasta in the UK. Giles Coran and Prue Leith rank among its supporters.

Hi Alessandro, what would you say Pasta Evangelists’ mission is?

Our mission is to make the best possible fresh pasta and sauces in the UK, thereby becoming the authority in fresh pasta across multiple channels. We want to spread the joy of high-quality, fresh, hand-crafted pasta!

Can you tell us about your recent growth? What’s next for Pasta Evangelists?

The business has grown considerably over the past few years. We tripled revenues in 2019 and they grew tenfold the year before that. We’re one of the fastest growing startups in the UK and expect this to continue. In fact, we’re making sure of it by investing in our product, hiring new people and expanding our number of distribution channels.

Our three broadest priorities in 2020 are: 1) to improve our profitability, 2) to execute our concession business and 3) to improve our online business by focusing on online subscribers. With regard to the first priority, we are working hard to improve our margins and therefore, whilst top line growth remains key, it’s not our main focus in 2020. With regard to the second priority, given how pasta is purchased in the UK, we are looking to sell across a broader range of different channels this year. We have concession stands in Harrods and M&S and want to execute on these this year. There’s also a strong demand for our pasta on Ocado and Deliveroo, so we’re going to focus on growing these channels as well.

Beyond 2020, we see ourselves expanding globally. We’re currently trying to conquer the UK market, but Asia, Europe and America are also in our sights! We’re also going to stick to just making pasta: it’s in our name and it’s what we’re good at. We don’t want to diversify into other areas just yet!

What are your values as a startup employer?

We don’t have any formal ‘values’ per se but, ultimately, people are here to be treated fairly. We want to provide the people in the team with a lot of learning opportunities and we thrive when people take ownership of tasks and push for more responsibility. We’re a diverse startup team and encourage creativity, outside-of-the-box thinking and alternate perspectives as much as possible. We also reward people for hard work and dedication!

What’s great about working at Pasta Evangelists?

We give people a lot of responsibility early on, which is great for self-starters and people that want to get stuck in. We move quickly and also invest in the people in our startup team and provide a lot of learning opportunities. Working with pasta is also fun because it’s a great product. If you love food, you’ll be in heaven here!

What do you look for in an employee?

We look for people that are really interested in what we do. We hate generic applications! If you’re a massive foodie, have written about us or like our pasta – we would love to hear from you!

We’re also looking for people that have a lot of energy, work hard and are keen to learn. If you’re driven, motivated and ambitious – you’ll do well at Pasta Evangelists!

Do you have any advice for young co-founders thinking about starting their own company but currently unsure?

Move as quickly as possible. Things always take longer than anticipated so it’s good to think ahead and plan accordingly. Also, starting a business is a bit like going to war: you need allies and a good team. Don’t go to war by yourself – if you have a team, advisors, supporters, partners and co founders, your chances of success are likely to increase.

Also, do something in a category that you have a specific interest in, not just in a category where you see a business opportunity. When you found a start up, you’re tied to it for a long time and the hours are long, so it helps if you are passionate about what you do! You will also come across as more authentic and credible if you genuinely love what you do.

On a separate note, we have several open positions at the moment! So check them out and if nothing interests you but you think you could add value to Pasta Evangelists – send us an email! We’d love to hear from you.

Here at Work in Startups, we’re on a mission to help talented jobseekers find the startup job of their dreams. To support this, we’re running a blog series shining a light on people’s early startup careers, in the hope that it will inspire jobseekers (like you!) and help talent make more informed decisions about their […]

Early Career Spotlight: Sarah Ali at Adzuna

Here at Work in Startups, we’re on a mission to help talented jobseekers find the startup job of their dreams. To support this, we’re running a blog series shining a light on people’s early startup careers, in the hope that it will inspire jobseekers (like you!) and help talent make more informed decisions about their future. Follow us as we interview startup employees across the country and find out more about their backgrounds, motivations, current roles and future aspirations!

This week we’re interviewing Sarah Ali, Head of Government Support at Adzuna, a search engine for job advertisements that operates in 16 countries worldwide and aggregates job ads from several thousand sources. Adzuna is also Work in Startups’ parent company, which I bet you didn’t know! A former member of the Future Fifty, Adzuna is an impressive startup that has made great strides in the complex job market industry and looks set for big things.

Hi Sarah! Can you tell me a bit about your background?

I studied History at Kingston University and, like pretty much every other history major, I have done absolutely nothing with it. After uni, I got a job doing compliance at a big corporate. It was a great learning curve, but definitely not for me long term! After six months there, I started a job in operations/customer support at a startup called Hassle.com, which I loved! When the management changed, I moved to another startup called Amaliah.co.uk. Since then, I’ve worked at four other startups, the most recent being Adzuna. At Adzuna, I work on the Find A Job project as Head of Government Support. It’s a really interesting role because I learn new things on a daily basis, and I love the fact that the work is meaningful. We’re making it easier for people to find jobs and helping hundreds of thousands of people as a result.

Wow, your CV is pretty impressive! Thank you for sharing. What led you to join a startup in the first instance?

I was really disillusioned after working at a corporate. I went into it thinking that I would love the role, and corporate life in general, but it was very stiff and rigid and not at all what I expected. I definitely think corporate jobs are glamourized – you think it’s like Suits the TV show, but the reality is very different. Everything from the dress code to the amount of breaks you could take was closely monitored. It felt like being back at school during the worst years. Someone was always watching you and you weren’t given much control over your work. You were told what to do, when to do it and how to do it. I had virtually no independence and it was very difficult for me to take ownership of my work.

I joined Hassle.com in the operations/customer support division because I wanted something different – and it definitely was! The culture was unlike anything I had ever experienced before. It was young, fun and the socials were amazing. Everyone got on like a house on fire. That being my first startup made me realise that I don’t want to work in a corporate ever again and startups were the place to be. I love the organised chaos of startup life! I thrive in it. There’s a lot of learning on your feet and making stuff up as you go along, which means you have a lot of autonomy over what you do and it’s fun! You’re the owner of your work.

Hassle.com was very successful and ended up being sold. All the people that made it what it was, including the co-founders, moved on, and I felt like it was time to move on to another startup as well. I wanted to bring the culture with me to other places!

I tried my hand at a number of other startups, but couldn’t quite find the culture of the first. It made me realise that each startup has a different culture and you have to adapt and find one that suits you. I landed at Adzuna by referral of an old colleague from Hassle and haven’t looked back! I love my new role as I have complete ownership of my work. Find a Job was a new project within Adzuna which gave me a lot of freedom to define processes and decide how I work. It’s a fun team and I enjoy being part of it!

So do you think you’ll always work in startups?

100%. I love the relaxed-yet-everyone-gets-stuck-in mentality and startups typically have a pretty flat hierarchy. Everyone pitches in and helps out where needed. For example, founders often help out with customer support at the weekends and during the Christmas period and the finance team often helps the marketing team and vice versa.

You also don’t mind staying late in the office because you’re with people you like and you all have the same goal: wanting the startup to thrive and succeed. That theme has run through every startup that I have worked at. When everyone is invested and wants the company to do well, this creates a better working environment and fosters cross team collaboration. After experiencing startup life, I don’t think I could go back.

What makes the Adzuna a great place to work?

A load of things. It’s a very nurturing and supportive environment. Everyone looks out for everyone and there are a tonne of learning opportunities. I’ve learnt more here than probably anywhere else and there’s still so much to learn! I’ve had a taste of product management and want to learn more and Adzuna is providing me the platform to do that. I really get along with my colleagues as well and have made some firm friends. In particular, my boss, Scott, is a great mentor and very encouraging and supportive. He’s really helping me grow and succeed.

Flexible working is another big benefit of the job! I can work from home and make up the hours if I have a doctor’s appointment or something. I definitely wouldn’t get this flexibility at a corporate. The work is also super interesting and all of my colleagues are very switched on and intelligent, which provides a big daily source of motivation.

What does the future hold?

Now that I have had a taste of product management, I feel like that is the next step for me. Given the responsibilities I have gained here, my current role is a good starting point. The ambition that Adzuna has and the development plans we have in place here will help me fulfill this career change. There is also still loads more to learn at Adzuna and in my current role so I plan on being here for a long time! Unless they kick me out of course… or change significantly…

Do you have any advice for young, startup obsessed jobseekers when they’re just leaving school? What about people leaving University?

Personally (and this isn’t for everyone), if I had the choice again I wouldn’t go to university. I feel I’ve actually learned a lot more from working than from my experience at Kingston. This is of course partly because of the degree I did and the course I did and don’t get me wrong, university is definitely a great option for some, but it’s not for everyone and you can thrive in a career without a degree. When I left university, I had over £40,000 of debt, and could have spent those four years getting stuck in at a startup and working my way up the ranks – whilst earning money!

As for people leaving university and looking at startups, I would say definitely apply for startups where you are passionate about the product and feel the culture is a right fit for you. Do your research – is the company aligned with your beliefs and core values?

Once you’ve started working at a startup, volunteer and get stuck in. If there are opportunities within your job to work in all areas and/or shadow other teams – do it! It will help you figure out what you want to do in the long-term. Also, take advantage of all the opportunities and courses that they are offering you to further develop, grow and learn. I’m sure you’ll become a pro in something that I bet you had no idea even existed before joining a startup, like Zoho or Zendesk.

If you could write a letter to your 18 year old self – what would you say?

As I’ve mentioned above – forget uni and get into a startup ASAP. You’ll thrive more in this environment! Follow your instincts and don’t give in to parental pressures of going to university. If it’s not for you, then it’s not for you. Also, keep doing you because you’re awesome, even at 18.

Inspired by Sarah and/or want to share your story? Email us at contact@workinstartups.com or reach out via Twitter – we’d love to hear from you!

So you’ve been interviewing for startup jobs for a few months and have received a few job offers (lucky you!). But how do you choose between the companies? Joining a startup poses risks and rewards, which is why it’s important to spend time weighing up the pros and cons of each job offer. Joining a […]

How to Pick the Right Startup to Join

So you’ve been interviewing for startup jobs for a few months and have received a few job offers (lucky you!). But how do you choose between the companies?

Joining a startup poses risks and rewards, which is why it’s important to spend time weighing up the pros and cons of each job offer. Joining a fast growing, innovative and well-run startup can really kickstart your career, open a lot of doors and provide you with a whole host of opportunities. However, joining a poorly managed, stagnating startup can lead to burnout, unhappiness and flagging motivation.

Through speaking to a lot of people, drawing on personal experiences and scouring the internet for the best advice, I’ve come to one key conclusion. When picking the right startup to join you should think like an investor.

This means, first and foremost, evaluating whether the startup’s mission and end product make sense to you. Is it something that you would use and/or could see others using? Try and determine whether what the startup builds is valuable to the world. I know this is a slightly fluffy statement, but do your research, and ask your peers and people with knowledge of the industry for their opinions. This can help you form a judgement. And if you don’t believe in the end mission, then it’s probably not right for you!

Secondly, look for evidence that the startup is already succeeding. Of course, if it’s in its early stages, data will likely be difficult to come by. But you should ask about early client wins and breakthroughs when your interviewing – does it sound like they’re making progress? When there is more public tangible data, look at growth. What trajectory are they on? This is more important than absolute figures.

Thirdly, evaluate how strong the team and the management are (in your mind). A startup’s success is often directly proportional to its founders ambitions. Have a dig into their credentials – do they have a strong academic / professional / entrepreneurial background, and come across as inspirational people you can truly learn from? Have they founded or been part of other “successful” startups? It’s certainly helpful if it shows that they know how to grow a company from the ground up. Also, investigate their leadership style when interviewing. Are they people of character? Are they tenacious? Are they approachable and do they foster a great company culture? If possible, read their blog posts and watch their interviews to better understand how they operate. This is important, as talented and driven people also recruit like minded individuals – so if the founders are of high calibre, then it’s likely the team will be too.

Once you have determined whether (or not!) you would invest in the startup based on these three initial areas, establish exactly who you would be working with and how they would support you. The smarter and more experienced your colleagues are, the more learning opportunities there will be. Great mentors also motivate you and provide opportunities for you to create impact. You can evaluate this by paying careful attention during your interview. Is your interviewer noticeably passionate about the mission? Are they switched on and engaged? It’s difficult to fake enthusiasm and drive.

Lastly, have they received investment? And if not, is there a good reason? When a company attains venture funding, it’s a big signal that it’s heading in the right direction and others have bought into its mission. Investors have made a (pretty expensive!) bet that it will be more valuable in the future. They’ve made this bet after conducting extensive market research, consulting experts, assessing company management and analysing the company’s data. In effect, they’ve carried out a lot of your research for you!!

An even BETTER signal is when the investors have a stellar reputation. The best VCs attract the best, most successful startups, so it’s really encouraging when the startup you are considering joining has big backers.

Here are a few of the biggest names in VC (there are hundreds of others, of course!):

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders across the country and find out more about their […]

Startup To Watch: Zen Educate

Here at Work In Startups, we’re on a mission to champion the best and most exciting startups in the UK. To support this, we’re starting a new blog series highlighting some of the most innovative and fast-growing startups around. Follow us as we interview startup founders across the country and find out more about their goals and ambitions, what the future holds and (for all you startup jobseekers out there looking for the inside scoop) what they look for in a prospective employee.

Our mission is to improve the education system. Zen Educate is an accredited social enterprise, so it’s core to who we are. All schools need teachers and traditionally if a teacher is away, they call a recruitment agent. This is poor value for money and inefficient. We help schools cut out the middleman by providing an online platform for their hiring needs. This helps them save time and money, and it also helps teachers take back control, as they know where and when they can work in advance, and benefit from exceptional support and great rates.

Your growth over the past few years has been pretty astonishing. What does 2020 hold in store for Zen Educate?

As you’ve mentioned, we’ve just raised £5.6m in funding from Brighteye Ventures, an EdTech focused European VC, and this comes off the back of significant business growth. We’re tripling as a business year over year and hiring more people as a result. 6 months ago, we were a team of 20 and now we’re a team of 50 – which is an exciting place to be.

We currently work with over 4,000 teachers in Greater London and Manchester, not to mention numerous schools, and there’s definitely a lot of room to grow in these areas. We’re also launching in Birmingham in Q1 of 2020, which we’re looking forward to. Beyond the UK, inefficiencies in education staffing exist all over the world and few companies are poised to do something about this. A few education staffing platforms are having a lot of success in the US, but this business model has yet to reach continental Europe, Asia and Africa. As such, there are enormous global opportunities for Zen Educate.

What do you look for in an employee?

Value fit is key. Without giving too much away, we’re very deliberate about our hiring process and hire people who closely align with Zen Educate’s values.

We look for three main things:

People that care about what we do – if the mission inspires you, that’s a big reason to join

People that act like owners who thrive on autonomy

People that push themselves to be better by consistently choosing greatness over comfort

Do you have any advice for young people just starting their careers?

Life is short and fleeting, so work on stuff that means something to you. Even if this means changing your career drastically, do it. Life is too short to not be doing work that matters to you.

Do you have any advice for those thinking about founding their own startup but currently unsure?

Do it x1,000,000. You want to tell your grandkids about the person you became, not the person you could have been, so don’t wait! Once you decide to take the leap, speak to people and get advice. Find successful founders and suck up information from them like a sponge. Founders love helping other Founders. This will help you navigate challenges and opportunities that come your way.

On a personal note, before co-founding Zen Educate, I worked at Nutmeg – a very successful startup – for a few years. I went on that journey from the small team to a big team and learnt a lot in the process. Going on a journey with another company in the early stages is a great way to learn what it takes to build a successful company.